While maintaining an HVAC system is a homeowner’s responsibility, they aren’t all sure how to perform it properly. Learning about selecting the best HVAC professional replacement or repair services is a wise move for any smart thing homeowners can do. The tips that follow will help put you in a great position.
When you start making calls to get someone to help with your HVAC system, it’s a good idea to know what system you have before that phone call. Write down what brand your system is along with the model number and, if they’re available, maintenance records. In this way, you can be sure your repair person has all vital information.
Know the name and type of system before calling someone to fix it. This will help you give the contractor you hire has all the necessary information.
If you struggle with your HVAC, try touring your home before calling a professional. Note which rooms are hot and which are cold. This can help contractors quickly figure out the issue and how to fix it easily and quickly.
If your HVAC doesn’t seem to be working properly, look around your home before calling in people to help. This will help the repairman determine what the problem is and how to fix it.
Every spring you should clean the coils and fan blades on your condenser fan. Be sure to turn the power off first; you don’t want anything to move. After you have turned the power off, you simply remove the grill and the blades to perform a gentle cleansing.
Turn the power off first so you don’t get hurt or break something. Next, pop the grill off, pull out the blades and start cleaning them and the unit itself off gently.
Make sure that you do not cover your outdoor components with grass clippings when you are trimming the grass. Get the grass shot away from your unit. When blowing leaves, do the same. Always take care when passing your HVAC units while moving leaves, grass or other debris.
Grass Clippings
Your HVAC unit may suffer when trees start to lose their leaves. Clean outdoor units often to remove leaves. Because the fan requires a clear path for air to enter, you may encounter issues with your system if the fan gets blocked up.
Don’t let grass clippings pile up against your outside unit. Direct the grass clippings in a direction away from the equipment. This also applies when you are taking care of the leaves in debris.
If the fan on your condenser includes oil ports, they must be lubricated annually. These are usually covered with rubber or metal caps. You should select an SAE 20 oil since it is lightweight and does not contain detergent. Be sure to use just 10 drops or so, or your system may overfill.
Lubricate the oil ports on your condenser at least once a year. You can easily find the ports as they have a rubber or metal cap covering them. Use SAE 20 oil that is non-detergent and lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, but make sure to avoid overfilling them.
For maximum efficiency, place outdoor units in a shady spot. When your unit sucks in cooler air, then much less is required to cool it further, which saves you money on energy bills.
Put your outdoor unit in the shade.
Make sure you have your HVAC system checked at least twice a year. Your system should be inspected in Spring and Fall. Even if you don’t think anything’s wrong, it’s still worth an inspection.
During a maintenance visit, professionals can help by inspecting the system’s motor, oil the moving parts and check the freon levels in the system. These things will help your system.
Replace single pane windows by installing double pane, if possible. Windows that are double pane keep the cool air in and can greatly reduce the amount of time your air conditioner will need to run. This will also help you keep in heat when it gets cold.
Research and check the companies before hiring them. Check them out at the BBB and online reviews as well. Doing all of this will make sure you make a better decision.
A programmable thermostat can really help you out when it comes to your power bills. A programmable thermostat can save you up to ten percent on your cooling and heating costs by simply turning the thermostat back ten to fifteen percent for eight hours a day. Plus, some models allow you to control them over the internet or from a smartphone.
Air conditioners tend to ice up.The drain line may also freeze over. If you notice this, switch the thermostat in your home to fan only so the compressor is disabled. You should call a pro to fix this problem, but switching to the fan will make the ice melt.
Regularly having your HVAC system serviced can help keep your heating and cooling bills down. When they visit to service the unit they’re going to inspect the motors, oil the parts that move, and see how much freon is in your system. These few simple things will help your system to run at its peak performance.
Ask around so you can find a HVAC contractor. People who have had a good experience are often happy to share this information. This is also a great way to get names of companies that should avoid.
Don’t allow your home to overheat. Expect an air conditioning unit to drop the temperature down 20 degrees within a short amount of time. If the temperature in your home rises to 100 degrees F or higher, cooling it will only drop the temperature to 80 degrees F. Depending on humidity levels, this isn’t even a safe temperature for a human body to sleep at to recover from summer heat.
There are many sites that give people the opportunity to leave comments about the service they received. This is an excellent method of finding people that you are interested in dealing with as well as those that you want to avoid.
If you want to ensure you choose a trustworthy HVAC contractor, invest a little time in researching a few different companies, checking out their reputations. It can be helpful to check out the online reviews of previous customers and it is always wise to check their reputation as listed on a Better Business Bureau website. This can help you make the right choice.
Contractors are responsible for their own charges and fees, so make sure to get multiple quotes.You can save tons of money when you call different companies for many quotes. You may want to call at least a handful of contractors in order to know what you should be paying.
Air conditioners occasionally freeze up, literally. The drain line may also freeze up. If this is something that’s happening to you, change the setting on your thermostat to the fan setting and this will disable the compressor. While switching the system to the fan setting should begin the ice melting process, the best thing to do is to hire a professional to deal with the problem.
Think about getting a radiant barrier installed in your attic so your HVAC system can run better. It blocks outside heat from coming in which will make sure you won’t have to use more energy to keep your unit stays hot or cold as it should be. You may even find that you can use the attic space if it is done right.
Use recommendations when you are looking for a contractor. Find someone that has a lot of quality work under their belt. This will also help you avoid bad companies.
Do you want to buy a quality HVAC? There are things you need to keep in mind. Systems are given ratings by how effectively they can cool or heat an area. You are wise to err on the side of a bigger unit that is slightly too large for your needs than a bit too small.
To find out which HVAC company is worth hiring, make sure to use the Internet to look for reviews about any company you’re interested in. There are a lot of sites these days that let customers talk about their experiences with contractors. This will tell you who is great and who isn’t.
Measure the living area that requires air conditioner shopping. You generally need 20 BTU per square footage of the room. If you have multiple rooms to cool, just add their total square footage.
If your current system isn’t working well enough, test out the ducts for leaks. Your local energy company may do such testing at a reduced cost or maybe even for free. When these leaks are fixed, the testing will pay for itself in energy savings.
If you have to place it in a corner of your home, get a unit that lets you direct air flow away from any walls.
If you hear a clicking noise coming from your HVAC unit, immediately start looking for any obstructions. Sometimes there is debris that gets in the fan’s way. Get rid of this obstruction and that should take care of the problem. Check it out yourself first before you call in the professionals.
Any HVAC contractor or installer should have a 24-hour emergency number available to customers around the clock. They owe it to you to show up to fix anything, in any weather.
The windows and doors in your home must be efficient in order for your HVAC to perform as efficiently as possible. They should have tight seals so outside air cannot get in and inside air can not get out. A professional can easily have this tested for you, and oftentimes, this service is free.
Always check out any references that you receive for an HVAC contractor.
When choosing the proper air conditioner size, measure the area that needs cooling. Plan for 20 BTU of power in your air conditioner for each square foot that needs to be cooled. Combine the square footage of all rooms, in the event that you will be cooling more than one.
This will help you to figure out how many BTUs the new system has to be.
Replacing your unit’s air filter each month is a key maintenance task. This is a very simple job and it keeps the system running at maximum efficiency. Filters are relatively cheap, so it does not cost much to do this.
Consider a programmable thermostat installed.This will save you money on your bills as it constantly adjusts your settings to ensure optimal performance.
The next time your HVAC is being looked at, think about getting a programmable thermostat added to the unit. You will reduce your electric bills, as it will rest during the night.
Energy Star units must be met. These are established by the US. They are called the environment and human health. Taking time to fully research various units may help you save a significant amount of money.
Buy an Energy Star HVAC unit to save money. Energy Star units must meet certain guidelines. These are set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Spending your time looking over these types of things can help you to save quite a bit later on.
An HVAC unit that is working properly can assure the comfort in a home. But, if you aren’t sure who to call, it can be quite frustrating. The tips you just read should be of benefit to anyone with an HVAC.
Energy Star units are the best choice when purchasing a new unit. This ensures efficiency that is required by the EPA. This helps save you money on your energy bills during the year.
